Stars are Shining in the Dark
by oncerSM
Summary: AU of 4x01 "The Flash Reborn" when the Team Flash is unable to wake Barry up from his mental state and Team Arrow pays a visit "He's been like this for three weeks?" Oliver asked sadly looking towards Iris. "Almost a month. I come here every day to talk to him. And he talks back, just not to me".
1. Chapter 1

"Ok but seriously if this John Broder guy is gonna start messin' up my city then we're gonna have some problems," Cisco said as he walked around the cortex, discussing the newest meta they've been facing. "I mean, it's only me and Wally and this guy look like trouble".

"Cisco this guy can control water, it's not a big deal" Caitlyn replied, a small smile forming on her face

"It is if you have a fear of drowning"

"You have a fear of drowning?" Wally asked.

"I never told you the story of that one summer that-" but Cisco's words were cut off by the sound of high heels making their way into the cortex, and a familiar voice going with it.

"Ok, what is the point of you guys having cell phones if none of you ever pick up?" Felicity Smoke asked, her blonde ponytail flipping behind her and her hands locked with a tall Oliver Queen.

"Hi Felicity," Caitlyn said walking up to give their friend a hug.

"Oh, new look?" Felicity asked eyeing Caitlyn's choker and leather jacket.

"Um...something like that" Caitlyn replied awkwardly. "Anyways what are you two doing here in Central City?" She asked.

"Well, I did try calling, but-" Felicity started rambling.

"A dangerous criminal from Iron Heights escaped and we thought Barry would be able to help" Oliver finished, trying to get to the point.

"Must be some criminal if you need Barry's help..." Cisco dragged.

"Yeah. So where is he? I haven't spoken to him in months. And where's Iris?" Felicity asked looking around as if the scarlet speedster was just going to rush in any moment.

"She's... talking to Barry" Caitlyn said.

"Okaaaay. And where are they?" Felicity asked now noticing the tension in the room.

"Guys there's something you don't know" Cisco started, knowing they would find out eventually.

"Cisco, what happened?" Oliver asked urgently.

"Well, the reason you haven't heard from Barry in a while is that he hasn't been here. Seven months ago he walked into the Speed Force to stabilize it from ripping Central City apart".

"Sorry" Felicity asked. "What's a Speedforce".

"It's basically where Barry and Wally's powers come from. It's like a big endless void"

"And I'm guessing walking into it isn't a good thing" Oliver said.

"For six months Barry was trapped in there and then a few weeks ago we were able to bring him back. But he wasn't himself. All that time spent in isolation, it messed with his head. Caused dementia. He's been in the pipeline ever since" Cisco finished, not willing himself to look up.

"Oh my God" Felicity choked through a sob, unable to stop the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Can we see him?" Oliver asked softly and Cisco met his eyes and found that even the Green Arrow was having trouble handling the news of his friend's insanity. All Cisco could do was nod and begin to lead the pair towards the cell the held the fastest man alive.

* * *

Before they even reached the pipeline Felicity could hear a pair of voices speaking out at the same time.

"-and I told Linda that you we're on this trip for work, and then I remembered that she knew you were the Flash but I couldn't bring myself to tell her what happened to you" Iris said sadly, her voice breaking. She was leaning against the wall outside the cell with her knees pulled up to her chest.

"Rain. Game. Stain, lane! I don't think I can run fast enough..." Barry's voice rang out, going from ecstatic with happiness to nervous in a matter of seconds. The cell he lay in was now completely covered with white except for the glass panel so Team Flash could see in and yet he still moved the marker around again and again even though the ink had dried out weeks ago.

"Iris?" Felicity asked through her own tears as they made their way towards the cell. Iris looked up, surprised to see the pair of them.

"Cisco what are they doing here?" Iris asked looking towards the shoulder length haired young man.

"They came looking for our help. I had to tell them about Barry" Cisco answered.

"You went to help me Joe?" Barry suddenly yelled out and everyone jumped. "Get my dad out of prison, you helped put him there, didn't you?! Keep running home to you..." Barry sang out the last line, a gleeful smile shone on his face. And then he kept drawing, not noticing the new visitors that had just arrived.

"Hey Barry" Cisco said, his tone of voice now more upbeat like you would use when speaking to a young child. "Oliver and Felicity are here" he said.

"Barry?" Oliver asked as he stepped towards the glass panel, trying to find some recognition in his friend's eyes. But Barry just kept moving his empty marker around in circles, now humming the tune to a song that Oliver could swear was "Summer Lovin'.

Oliver lightly tapped on the glass and for a moment Barry's eyes flickered up before returning to his drawings, but it was long enough for Oliver to see the empty look in his hazel eyes.

"Barry please" now it was Felicity trying, her eyes now red but dry.

"Arrows" Barry muttered under his breath, so quiet that they four of them almost didn't hear it.

"Yes Bar!" Iris said excitedly. "Oliver is the Green Arrow" she stopped waiting for Barry to say something else relatable, anything at all.

"Of course I wanna kill him Joe! I wanna do a hell of lot more to him" Barry yelled out, his hands now covering his ears like everything was too loud. "The stars! They're amazing!" And then he was laughing again.

"He's been like this for three weeks?" Oliver asked sadly looking towards Iris.

"Almost a month. I come here every day to talk to to him. And he talks back, just not to me".

"There's got to be a way to wake him up" Felicity said. "He's only been in the Speedforce for six months"

"Felicity, time works differently in that place. For us, yes he was in there for six months but for Barry, he spent eternity in his own personal hell, alone" Cisco said.

"No. I refuse to believe that he's gone!" Felicity said.

"We've tried everything" Cisco said.

"That can't be true. We need to find another way. I'll help you guys" Felicity said. "I can't go back to Star City knowing that one of my best friends is suffering like this" she said now looking towards Oliver.

"I agree with Felicity" Oliver said and Felicity smiled. "We need to help Barry. He's still in there somewhere. We just need to find him".


	2. Chapter 2

"Stars they're shinning. Rhyming. Timing. Running out of time...I'm running out time!" Barry yelled out before falling to the floor of the cell. And then he laughed. A sound of pure joy escaping from his lips. Felicity couldn't help herself but smile at her friend's happiness as she stared at him through the computer screen in the cortex. She just wished she could hear that laugh for real.

"What about his drawings?" Felicity asked turning back to face the group. She realized that she wasn't the only one who had been watching Barry. "Do they mean anything?"

"Oh believe me, what ever he's drawing its just scribbles" Cisco said putting a tablet in Felicity's hands.

"This house is bitchin'?" She looked up confused.

"Yeah don't ask" Caitlyn said.

"Have you done tests on him? Caitlyn!" Oliver said loudly to Caitlyn who seemed to be spacing out.

"Sorry" she said jumping up.

"What about brain scans?" Oliver asked.

"All of it looked normal, healthy even" Caitlyn said. Then suddenly Barry yelled out again in pain, clutching his hands to his ears but with moments he was smiling again.

"You should do another brain scan, there may be something that you missed" Oliver said.

"Yeah I agree with the Mean Arrow over here" Cisco said and Oliver gave him a look. "It's been over a month since you took those initial tests and that was when he had enough sedative in him to knock out a person with his metabolism".

"A sedative shouldn't effect his brain scan though" Caitlyn said under her breath, almost rolling her eyes as Cisco knew almost nothing about modern medicine.

"Hey don't go all frosty on me" Cisco joked.

"I think we should go get Barry. There's got to be something you missed" Oliver interrupted.

"No let me do it" Cisco said pulling out a syringe from his pocket. "If we open that cell Barry will start running around this place and we'll never get him to stop. But I'll vibe right into his cell and get him from there". And then Cisco put up his right hand and a circling blue vortex opened up in front of them and he stepped through.

"Help me get him on the bed" Cisco said as he was trying to keep his unconscious friend from hitting the floor. But with barely any effort Oliver lifted the speedster's limp form over his shoulder.

"Well" Cisco said. "Don't try to show off too much" and then he watched as Oliver slowly lowered Barry gently on the bed.

"How long until he wakes up?" Felicity asked.

"Long enough for you to do whatever you need" Cisco said to Caitlyn.

"Ok" Caitlyn said after about an hour. She walked back in the Cortex and all heads looked up.

"And?" Felicity asked hopefully.

"Normal" Caitlyn said flat out. "Also he's awake".

"So that's just it?" Felicity asked. "He just stays like that, forever?" She felt like crying again. Barry Allen stuck in a padded cell for the rest of his life, drawing pretty circles on the walls. His smart mind and amazing powers gone to waste. Felicity couldn't handle it, she couldn't understand how Iris possibly could. No, Felicity thought. Iris probably felt a million times worse. He fiancé was insane and there wedding was supposed to be a month and a half from now. A wedding that won't happen unless they do something.

"I'm going to talk to him" Felicity said and without waiting for any objections she walked to the med bay.

Barry was already up and about, drawing shapes along the walls. Or at least he was trying to. He didn't have a marker this time, all he had was the fog his breath made when he blew on the glass windows.

"Barry" Felicity said, no reaction. She repeated and he turned around, his blank eyes staring at hers. He grinned. She couldn't help it and grinned back a sad smile.

"Hey".

"It's so bright" Barry said and she knew he was on to his nonsense way of speaking again. "Light, kite-"

"Sprite?" Felicity offered and this time there was a real smile, from both of them.

"He just seems a little tall" Barry then said.

"What?" She asked but then a sense of realization hit Felicity. He had said those words to her when she had been dating Ray.

"Barry" Felicity then said urgently. "I need you to listen to me" she had to try.

"Stars are gleaming".

"It's me, it's Felicity you're friend" she said slowly.

"I'm you're super friend" Barry sang out as if something clicked with the word.

"I didn't even knew you could sing, but yes friend. Really good friend. And I'm trying to help you, you need to wake up. Iris needs you and so does the rest of your Team. You're in Central City. Star Labs. And not in whatever that Speedforce place called hell" Felicity said.

"Hell?" Barry asked. But it took Felicity a moment to realize that he said it, not in the dazed voice she kept hearing from him, but in his voice. Barry's voice.

"She promised me I would be in Hell" Barry said. He had stopped drawing, and now looked rather confused. Then he dropped to the floor and leaned against the wall the same way Iris had, with his knees to his chest.

"She promised" Barry now began to cry, real tears poured down his face.

"Uh guys!" Felicity yelled to the Cortex and multiple pairs of feet came running. Cisco was the first to appear, eyeing the sobbing man on the floor.

"What did you do?" He asked. Over the past few weeks he'd seen Barry act all kinds of ways but his wasn't one of them.

"I don't know" Felicity answered. Iris ran forward and sat on the floor next to him.

"Barry?" She asked nervously reaching out a comforting hand to touch his shoulder, and for the first time in a month he jerked back, actually acknowledging a presence next to him. But then he began to shake, violently. He breathing got rapid and he was taking rapid gasps of air.

"He's having a panic attack!" Iris said not knowing what else to do but to wrap her arms around his shaking form.

"Barry. It's Iris".

"You can't just keep locking me in here!" Barry sobbed.

"What's he talking about?" Oliver asked. A lot of the phrases Barry said had been familiar and he could make out when they had taken place but this wasn't one of them.

"I think he's talking about the Speedforce" Felicity said.

"What do you mean?" Cisco asked

"Barry said that 'she was promised he wouldn't be in hell' and that's how this happened" she said gesturing to Barry still sobbing.

"Who's 'she'?" Oliver asked.

"His mother". Iris said, remembering that horrible night that she saw every time she went to sleep. The night Barry went into the Speedforce.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, not to be insensitive or something but isn't Barry's mom, you know...dead?" Felicity asked.

"No it was the Speedforce version of- you know what, whatever its confusing. But when Barry sacrificed himself for the city the Speedforce promised he wasn't going to hell".

"Obviously they lied" Felicity said wondering what kinds of torture Barry was put through.

"But I think by using that line you were able to get through to him" Cisco said.

"Really? It looks like all I did was remind him of his suffering. At least before he was peaceful" Felicity said.

"Peaceful and trapped" Oliver said looking towards Barry who was still wrapped with Iris's arms around him, then he went limp.

"I think he fainted" Iris said.

"All that strain on his mind would do that" Caitlyn said.

"Do you think he'll be Barry when he wakes up?" Felicity asked.

"I don't know" Caitlyn answered honestly.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ok I want you to look straight ahead" Caitlyn said as she shined her pen light in his eyes.

"Bright" Barry said as his wide-eyed gaze followed her as Caitlyn moved back and forth until she was satisfied. It had been agreed for the best that she would go in when Barry woke up to see how he was functioning before anyone else saw. And right now Caitlyn was trying very hard to remain his doctor instead of his friend. But even though Barry seemed to be responding to her presence, Caitlyn could tell that something was off.

"Barry could you tell me where we are right now?" She asked carefully.

"Star" he answered in a quiet voice that differed from his usual tone but also didn't match the one he'd been speaking in since coming out of the Speedforce.

"Star Labs. Right" Caitlyn said although she was becoming increasingly more worried.

"Barry, do you know who I am?" She asked dreading what might be his response.

"Cait" he said. "Frost" Barry added.

"Snow" Caitlyn reminded him with a sad smile.

So Caitlyn, what's the diagnosis?" Joe asked as the doctor had just walked into the now crowded cortex. Barry had woken up exactly twenty-three minutes ago and no one knew how much to hope, or what to expect.

"Do you guys want the good news or bad news first?"Caitlyn asked, her voice sounding a bit unsteady.

"Lay it on with the good" Cisco said. "We all need something to cheer us up right now" and as he looked around at his friends tired faces, Cisco knew he spoke for all of them. They all just wanted Barry back.

"He's awake" Caitlyn said with a small smile. "Meaning that Barry's aware of what's happening around him".

"But what's the bad news?" Iris asked, trying to not let herself get too excited.

"He's...a bit dazed to put it simply. His communication and attention skills aren't the best. Answering with simple, one word responses. Getting distracted easily" Caitlyn stated.

"But he'll get better right?" Felicity asked.

"I think so" Caitlyn responded. "But these side affects are to be expected when we remember how long Barry was in isolation. Really it's a miracle he's even at a stage of recovery at all".

"I need to see him" Iris said, standing up from her chair. Felicity began to follow the same movements but Oliver put a hand out to stop her.

"I think it should just be Iris right now. We don't want to overwhelm him" he said and Felicity sat back down.

"Come on" Caitlyn said motioning to Iris and the two of them walked towards the med bay.

As Iris walked closer she could feel her heart beating louder in her chest with every step. She wanted her Barry back, the man who never failed to make her smile, the man who wrapped his arms around her as she fell asleep, the man who sang in the shower when he thought she wasn't listening. Iris hadn't seen that man for seven months now and possibly today he would come running back to her.

Her first glance of Barry was from the back of his head, his dark hair in need of a haircut as it refused to stay down. Iris could just imagine running her fingers though it as Barry would lean against her, as together they watched a movie in the dark of their apartment.

She could see his left hand tapping rapidly along his thigh and but Iris couldn't help but notice how quite he seemed but to her this was a good sign. At least he wasn't drawing along the walls anymore, yelling out things that had no meaning.

But as she stood by the doorway Iris paused, not willing to go in out of fear. What if he wasn't better, but worse? And with a small tap on the back from Caitlyn that told her there was no point waiting any longer, Iris walked in.

"Barry?" Iris asked softly and almost immediately he turned around. His hazel eyes met hers and a small smile appeared on his face. Iris couldn't help the tears that began to pour down her face. Barry recognized her, he knew she was here. Slowly Iris walked forward and sat down on the bed next to him. "Hey Bar" she said putting her hand down on his. For a moment he tensed up, but then Iris could feel his whole body relax under her touch.

"Sad" Barry stated as he used his free hand to wipe away her tears. Iris looked back into his gaze, his pupils dilated and stare no longer blank but full of curiosity. She had to remind herself to be cautious, like Caitlyn said he wasn't back to normal, but she would just need to be patient with him.

"No Barry. Not sad, not anymore" Iris told him. "Now that you're back".

"How long?" Barry asked.

"Forever. Barry you don't have to worry" Iris said. "You're not going away again".

But Barry repeated the question, now looking frustrated. "How long?" He asked and Iris looked towards Caitlyn for assistance.

"7 months" Caitlyn answered, understanding what Barry was trying to ask. But then he fell silent, staring at the glass cabinet full of medical supplies as if it was of much interest to him, his hand still in Iris's grasp.

Caitlyn turned to Iris. "Maybe we should let everyone else see him?" She offered and Iris nodded even though she didn't want to leave his side. In this state Iris felt obligated to protect him even more so then when he was in the pipeline.

Slowly Iris pulled her hand away from Barry causing him to focus back on her. "I'll be back soon, Bar" she said. "I'm sure Dad and Cisco and everyone else want to see you".

"Home?" Barry asked innocently.

"Yeah Barry, and then we'll go home".

 **So I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter, it was a lot of fun to write as I didn't want Barry to recover so quickly. Also I apologize for Oliver and Felicity not being in this chapter so much but I promise they'll get coming up in the next chapter.**

 **Thanks again for reading,**

 **OncerSM**


	4. Chapter 4

Oliver and Felicity went next, being forewarned about Barry's current condition and how they should act, they made there way down to the med bay. They walked hand in hand, a gesture in which Felicity was grateful that the two of them were, once again, a couple. She held his grasp tight, feeling that if she let go she would fall over, why Felicity was so nervous to see her friend whom she had seen only a few hours previous, was a mystery to her.

"Hey" Oliver said under his breath, catching her attention as they neared the doorway. "It's just Barry"

"It's just Barry" Felicity repeated "right" and together they went in.

He lay on the medical bed, leaning on a stack of pillows with a notepad and marker in his hand. Caitlyn sat in the corner on a folding chair observing him with a curious stare when she saw the pair walk in. Putting her pointer finger to her lips and then looking back down at Barry, she gestured them forward.

"Barry" Caitlyn said, touching him lightly on the shoulder. Barry glanced up, first at Caitlyn and then noticing the new presence that had arrived. At first Felicity thought that he wouldn't recognize them but she was proved wrong when a small smile spread across Barry's face.

"I'll be in the cortex" Caitlyn said before slipping out, leaving the three alone.

"Hey Barry" Oliver said in same tone he'd use to talk to William. Barry looked at the two of them before his eyes fell to their joined hands.

"Together?" Barry asked, pointing to them.

"What? Oh yeah" Felicity said as she felt that strong hand that still kept her steady. "It just sorta... happened" she gazed towards Oliver and for the first time since coming to Central City she smiled, really smiled.

"That's how she explains it" Oliver laughed.

"Well you did give me a key to your apartment and then we kissed" Felicity told.

"Engaged?" Barry asked.

"No! Um...well...not currently"Felicity stuttered as her words failed. She wanted to keep talking, to tell him all about the explosion on Lian Yu but Joe had told her to keep things simple and light. Last thing they needed was for Barry to have another panic attack. "Hey Barry, remember how you helped find Oliver's son?-" she began only to notice that he no longer was paying them any attention. Instead his eyes went to his drawing pad, the marker moving slowly with his hand.

"Bar-" Felicity tried but Oliver put his hand up to stop her. But it didn't matter, it was as if Barry hadn't heard her.

"It's okay" he whispered, motioning toward the door. "Come on, lets go".

"Oliver" Felicity said, stopping abruptly when they reached the hallway.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Oliver asked, noticing the look on her face and her eyes becoming increasingly red. "I thought that went well? Barry seemed ok" Oliver said.

"He said two words, before forgetting we were even there" Felicity said, the tears threatening to spill pour her cheeks and never stop.

"Maybe 'ok' wasn't a good choice of a word" Oliver said.

"He was better obviously, but-" Felicity started.

"He wasn't Barry" Oliver finished her sentence and he understood what she meant. When he pictured Barry Allen he saw a nerdy guy looking way too young to be almost twenty-eight, a huge smile on his face, always ready to talk science and the one who ran around saving Central City with super speed. Sure he could be a bit show offish at times but he had his heart set in the right place. That wasn't who he saw now. The Barry Allen lying in the med bay appeared so innocent, so clueless as if he hadn't processed the reality of the world yet. And it didn't help that he appeared so young, with his hair grown out on top and a clean shaven face Barry didn't look older then twenty. It was hard to see that this man was the Flash, and his friend.

"I just want him back, Oliver" Felicity said.

"Me too".

"So guys how'd it go?" Cisco asked hopefully when they walked back into the cortex.

"It was good and then-" Oliver began.

"He faded away?" Caitlyn asked and Felicity was the one who nodded. The group then fell silent.

"He will get better? Right?" Felicity asked, speaking her greatest worries out in the open.

"I don't know" Caitlyn replied honestly. "The best we can do is help him the best we can. I'm going to go stay with him" she said.

"No" Iris said before the doctor could leave.

"What?" Caitlyn asked.

"You're right. We need to help him recover but that can't be here. I need to take Barry home" Iris said and even as the words left her mouth she found herself doubting them.

"Iris" Joe said. "I don't think Barry's stable enough to go home" he looked towards Caitlyn for assistance.

"Barry wants to go home! He told me he wants to go home" Iris said.

"Baby girl, I don't think Barry knows what he wants and doesn't want right now, that's why he needs to stay here" Joe reasoned.

"But you said he was getting better" Iris said turning back to Caitlyn who appeared to be deep in thought as if trying to see if what Iris was saying made sense. "It could help him recover! Keeping him locked up in here isn't going to do that" she said.

"Dad, I hate to say this but I agree with Iris" Wally, who had been fairly silent during this argument, said.

"Ditto" added Cisco.

"And Caitlyn what do you think?" Joe asked looking up at the light haired brunette.

"It may work" Caitlyn said finally. "Introducing him to more familiar surroundings might break him out of his current stasis".

"Might?" Felicity asked.

"Like I said before, there's no way of knowing if it will help him" Caitlyn replied. "But I think we should try".

"Then let's bring Barry home" Iris said.


	5. Chapter 5

**: this will be the last chapter of part 1 of this story as a crossover fic, part 2 will be posted under The Flash tag only titled, "Brighter Than Before" which will be continuing the story on. I really hope that you guys enjoy!**

"You sure this is a good idea?" Joe muttered under his breath to Iris as Barry now sat only a feet away, spinning around slowly in his chair. He had been brought to the cortex by Caitlyn and now remained silent, his wide eyes taking in the room around him. "You know maybe Barry should come home, back to the house for tonight? Me, Cecile and Wally we'll all be there" he offered.

Iris looked at her father. "What? No! Dad, Barry hasn't been home for seven months. I want him to come back with me" Iris argued quietly.

"I know Iris, but-"

"You think I won't be able to handle him?" Iris cut in. "He's Barry, Dad!"

"But right now we need to be careful" Joe said.

"Careful with what? I love him and he loves me" Iris fought back.

"I love him too, you know that but-"

"Uh guys?" Felicity asked. Everyone had been watching them bicker for the past five minutes, well everyone besides for Barry who payed none of them any attention.

"Hey Barry?" Joe asked now raising his voice to its normal tone and turning towards his son. "How're you feeling?" He said while putting a hand on Barry's shoulder, who didn't respond. "Bar?" Joe said a bit louder, while everyone else watched. Barry looked up, and as if he had just realized that someone had been talking to him, he smiled.

"Great" Barry replied a quiet voice before becoming distracted once more.

"I think we should be going too" Oliver spoke up, trying to break the tension in room. "We've been away from home too long and Star City needs it mayor and my son needs his father".

"William" Barry said and everyone looked his way.

"Yeah Barry" Oliver said with a grin. "His name's William. He's actually a big fan of the Flash" and then he waited, seeing if that would spark a conversation with Barry except it didn't work, and he didn't speak again.

"Yeah, I'll breach you guys there, cmon" Cisco said motioning for Oliver and Felicity to follow. Felicity didn't want to leave Barry, but she knew that currently there was nothing she could do to help him.

"Bye Barry" Felicity said, stepping up to the speedster and wrapping him in a tight hug. She could feel him shaking, small tremors moving through his body that you wouldn't notice unless you touched him. She also heard him humming, so lightly that no one else would hear. The only problem was he didn't hug back.

Then they broke apart and surprisingly Oliver repeated her motion and hugged him as well. When Oliver stood up straight he saw that Barry was actually looking at him. "Not usually..." Barry murmured.

"A hugger?" Oliver asked remembering how he said those exact lines almost two years ago after they'd defeated Vandal Savage. "I figured this time was an exception. Good bye, Barry" He said and then he and Felicity followed Cisco out to the breach room.

"Barry, you ready to go?" Iris asked reaching out to take his hand. It took a few seconds for him to react, before his fingers intertwined with hers.

"Home?" He asked and there was a small hint of desperation in his voice that Iris almost missed. She pulled him up from his chair and then she nodded.

"Yeah, lets go" and then the two of them were gone.

"Is he gonna be okay? Like for real?" Wally asked.

"I hope so" Joe replied. "But for right now, we have a bigger problem. Singh knows that Barry's back, Cecile told me. Apparently one of the officers that brought him in let it slip. He wants to talk to me tomorrow" he said.

"So what're you going to tell him?" Caitlyn asked.

"I don't know" Joe said. "But it's a lucky I'm a good liar".

That night Barry walked around the apartment like a ghost, quiet but taking in everything as if he was seeing it for the first time. Iris followed him around responding to any one word remarks he'd say. About the pictures along the walls, about her sleeping on the couch, and the many coffee mugs filling the kitchen sink and needed to be washed.

Finally, at the multiple requests from Iris the two made their way upstairs. She didn't want to admit it but it was first time she'd actually really been in their bed room for months. She'd only climb the stairs to get to her closet and makeup and jewelry. But besides that the door remained closed.

Iris went under the covers first but Barry hesitated before even going on the bed. "Hey what's wrong?" She asked, he looked nervous. "You should get some sleep, you're probably exhausted" Iris said, speaking for herself as she was extremely tired from the past couple days. Barry nodded and then carefully made his way on the bed. "Babe, you might want to get into pajamas" Iris said noticing that he was still fully dressed, shoes and all.

"No" was all Barry replied. And Iris didn't think she should argue, his first night back home was going to be difficult. Iris then flicked off the light, engulfing them in darkness with only the glowing light from the moon reflecting through the curtains. She then moved closer to him and put her head on his chest. His heart was beating fast, even for him. He was scared, frightened, of what Iris didn't know. But she knew she had to stay with him. No matter how different he seemed, they were forever Barry and Iris, and nothing would ever change that. And with the comfort of Barry Allen next to her, Iris fell into the deep bliss of sleep, only to be woken up hours later as his screams would pierce the night.

END OF PART 1


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